LOS ANGELES – The Caltech women's basketball team clashed with local SCIAC rival Occidental College at Rush Gymnasium Monday afternoon, enduring a back-and-forth contest and falling just short of extending its win streak to five games.

The Beavers opened with outstanding first quarter, outscoring the host Tigers 17-9 on 50% field goal shooting. Senior Claire Perhach (Carlsbad, Calif. / Sage Creek) led the charge in the opening frame with three baskets from the paint on three attempts. Her efforts sustained 14-point scoring run spanning the end of the first quarter into the second, giving Caltech a 22-9 lead.

Occidental rallied to tie the score at halftime, and after earning a 10-7 advantage in the third quarter, Caltech trailed by three. The Beavers never let up after Oxy extended its lead to six points, as three-pointers by juniors Kodie Vondra (Livingston, Mont. / Park) and  Saumya Chauhan (Fremont, Calif. / Mission San Jose) kept Caltech in contention. A pair of Chauhan free throws and then a jump shot by Vondra gave the Beavers a one-point lead with 1:44 remaning in regulation. The teams traded baskets a couple more times, but a critical free throw with one second remaining lifted the Tigers to a 50-49 advantage and eventual final score. 

Vondra led the Beavers with 12 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals, with junior Kathryn Edwards (Centennial, Colo. / Arapahoe) close behind with 11 points, six boards, three steals and an assist. Senior Hope Arnett (Torrance, Calif. / Chadwick School) led both teams with five steals, further contributing eight points and two boards. Perhach led the Beavers with 10 rebounds as she and Chauhan each dished out three assists to their teammates. 

Head Coach Annie Tarakchian and the Beavers will return home Wednesday evening to host the University of Redlands Bulldogs at 7 p.m.